“Unfortunately, this is not a new reality for those living under the brutal tyranny of the Chechen leader, who by the way happens to be a loyal ally of Vladimir Putin,” Rubio said on the Senate floor. “There have been reports in the past of similar abuses although these reports seem to be the most brutal and should provoke anger in all of us. We should never ever tolerate human rights violations against any person for their political views, their religious beliefs, [or] their sexual orientation.”

Rubio spoke passionately about the need to condemn the act of violence against Chechnya’s LGBTQ community and the need to condemn the government in the most efficient way possible. Canadian LGBTQ activists are calling for the Canadian government to start granting emergency visas to LGBTQ Chechens in order to relocate them away from the present and imminent danger of violence and death by the hands of their government.

“If this bill has in it something that gives gay couples immigration rights and so forth, it kills the bill. I’m gone. I’m off it,” Rubio told CNN about his immigration bill. “I’ve said that repeatedly. I don’t think that’s going to happen, and it shouldn’t happen. This is already a difficult enough issue as it is.”

Are we seeing a change in Rubio’s attitude towards LGBTQ people? Only time will tell.